Some civil society organisations or CSOs have indicated eagerness to partner the Kwara State government to ensure quality healthcare delivery to children and women.

Global Vaccines Alliance (GAVI), an international organisation, recently inaugurated the CSOs platform.

The organisations under the platform include Federation of Muslim Women's Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Association of Civil Society in Malaria, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN) and Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN).

Also, some of their members have embarked on advocacy visits to the state ministries of Health and Women Affairs. They were led by Hajia Nimata Labaika of FOMWAN and Olatubosun Femi of ACOMIN.

They said the goals of the platform are: a functional civil society platform that engages in immunisation and health-system strengthening process; improves knowledge and skills of platform members to engage in discussion around HSS-strengthening for immunisation; improve public-private-partnership with governments and development partners on immunisation issues and increase community participation in immunisation activities through education and communication to create demand for vacancies

The platform members during these visits raised some barriers/hurdles affecting efficient and effective immunisation exercise in the state.

ACOMIN Secretary, Adewoye Olusesan said poor sensitisation and logistics are some of the problems bedeviling the yearly immunisation exercise in the state.

Mr. Olusesan added, saying, "The platform observed from interactions with field workers that conveying immunisation officers from one settlement to the other on a bus is not very effective in some settlements as compared to motorcycles. Many had to wait endlessly for vehicles after their work in one settlement. This can be avoided if officers use motorcycles in certain settlements in addition to buses.

"Recruitment of political supporters for immunisation campaigns is having adverse effect on the exercise. Many of those who came in by political influence do the work with little or no commitment. Some see it as dividends of their support for a party. We therefore, appeal that selection of personnel should be based on ability and interest rather than political affiliations."

The state Health Commissioner, Sulyman Atolagbe said the Governor Abdulfatah administration is interested in the wellbeing of Kwarans, informing its huge investment in the health sector.

Mallam Atolagbe said that the administration had renovated five General Hospitals in Ilorin, Omu-Aran, Kaiama, Share and Offa all across the three senatorial districts of the state.

He revealed that the state government would soon introduce a project tagged "save million lives," adding that the state "is also planning to establish dialysis centre in the state capital to assist patients with kidney aliments."

The commissioner noted, "There is an ongoing recruitment of doctors, nurses and other health personnel to help manage the facilities in the five renovated general hospitals.